On Wednesday 14 October we're riding to work with the Balmain Bike Bus, and the event ends with morning tea at NSW Parliament House.
National Ride to Work Day is the one day a year when thousands of people across Australia swap the car or train for a bike. This year the Balmain Bike Bus, organised by the Sustainable Transport Group of Climate Change Balmain Rozelle, is taking it up a notch. Riders will roll from Balmain into the city with Bicycle NSW and Kobi Shetty MP, and finish at Parliament House to meet the Parliamentary Friends of Active Transport.
That's the real prize. Kobi Shetty is a co-chair of the group, so this is a rare chance to tell the people who shape road rules and active transport funding what would get you riding more often.

The route

• 8:00am – Loyalty Square, Balmain
• 8:15am – White Bay Power Station gate (Robert St, Rozelle)
• 8:20am – Rozelle Parklands, at the Victoria Road underpass
• 8:40am – Union Square, Pyrmont
• 9:00am – Hyde Park (College St & Oxford St)
• 9:10am – Parliament House (Hospital Road side)
• 9:30am – Morning tea in Parliament House

Coming from the Inner West? Rozelle Parklands at 8:20am is an easy place to join the bus. Wherever you hop on, the bike bus is friendly, and morning tea is a pretty good reason to turn up.
​
🚲 RSVP on Facebook →
🗺 See the route on Ride with GPS →
📖 More about National Ride to Work Day →

"The upgrade of access to this major transport hub should have happened years ago." Holly from Marrickville doesn't mince words about cycling to Sydenham station: massive trip hazards, trucks blocking footpaths, cars parked on footpaths, and cyclists and pedestrians left to navigate the limited space together. "This needs an urgent upgrade now!"

She's far from alone. In just over two weeks, more than 270 people have signed our petition calling for safe, separated cycling access to Sydenham, and dozens have added comments explaining why it matters to them.

A clear picture emerges from those comments. Over and over, people describe a station that's brilliant to arrive at but frightening to reach by bike. Ian from Enmore put it plainly: the station itself is great, but cycling there via Railway Parade or Marrickville Road is "frankly outright dangerous."

For some the danger is already real — Kali from Sydenham crashed off her bike near the station three months ago, hitting a pothole hidden in a puddle. She wasn't struck by a car, but as she notes, she could have been: "The station is great, but the surrounding streets are not yet providing safe bike access." Ben from Petersham North made the numbers stark: here's a station that can move more than 10,000 people an hour, with thousands living within easy biking distance and a huge bike parking lot already built, "so why aren't we funneling people in on a nice cycleway?"

The theme that comes up most is families. Leeanna from Sydenham has a cargo bike that's "fantastic for riding with my kids" but feels uncomfortable taking them anywhere she has to share the road with cars. Julia from Marrickville is reluctant to let her kids ride at all, because Sydenham Road isn't safe and the footpath is too congested. Many made the bigger connection too — that safer streets would be good for the whole neighbourhood. Benjamin from Redfern said he'd ride to Sydenham "all the time to go to the great shops and breweries in Marrickville if it were safer," while Ashley from Mayfield argued that leaving expensive infrastructure disconnected from safe cycling routes is "a crime against the taxpayer."

And running through it all, a simple hopefulness. Phena from Dulwich Hill asked us to "make our dream bike path come true," because riding safely "brings so much joy." Diana from Marrickville called connected bike paths to transport hubs "a no brainer." Or, as Jason from Marrickville put it: it's entirely possible to have a separated cycleway in harmony with the area as it is today — "let's get it done!"

The petition itself asks for two straightforward things. With the rest of the Metro line opening in October, more people than ever are riding and walking to Sydenham — but getting there on a bike still means choosing between mixing with trucks and buses or squeezing past prams, wheelchairs and the bus queue on a crowded footpath. So we're asking Inner West Council and the NSW Government to keep the footpath for people walking, and to build safe, separated cycling access to the station. That's not too much to expect of a world-class station.
​
If you haven't signed yet, it takes 30 seconds. Add your name and help us make riding to Sydenham feel as good as catching the Metro from it.

✍️ actionnetwork.org/petitions/cycling-to-sydenham

We're excited to share that Bike Marrickville has partnered with Sydney Bike Rave — and their next ride is just around the corner.

If you haven't been, Sydney Bike Rave is Sydney's loudest group ride: a rolling block party that takes over the city once a month after dark. Neon lights, big sound, no racing, no drop, no egos — just dozens of riders and a lot of new friends. It's free, all welcome, and run entirely by volunteers.

Ellis Bou-Harb, president of Bike Marrickville: "As the old adage goes, there’s safety in numbers. Riding in a group with music is fun, but it’s also a great way to check out roads that can feel inaccessible to all but the most confident riders.
Together, even King Street and Enmore Road can welcome beginners, or families with kids on cargo bikes. This is one of the many reasons we love Sydney Bike Rave, and are excited to co-host the August ride!"

Details:

• Saturday 29 August 2026
• Gather from 5.30pm 
• Roll-out 6:00pm sharp from Prince Alfred Park Pool, Surry Hills
• Slow, social, and nobody left behind

​
Joining is easy. Sign the rider waiver at sydneybikerave.org — that's how you RSVP, and it keeps the night looked-after — then turn up early with your lights on. Road-legal pedal-assist e-bikes (250W, cutting out at 25 km/h) are welcome; throttle-only or modded bikes aren't.

Route drops, weather calls and recaps land on their Instagram first, so give them a follow before you head out.

This is exactly the kind of thing we love getting behind: more people out riding, having fun, and showing the city how good streets full of bikes can feel.

This Tuesday – 25 August 2026 – Inner West Council votes on two important documents: a new Parking Strategy and Parking Policy. They may not sound thrilling, but they could shape our streets for years to come.

For decades, most of our kerb space has been reserved for storing private cars. These documents begin to change that — opening the way to use some of that space for protected bike lanes, wider footpaths, street trees, outdoor dining, and calmer local streets.

That's good news for anyone who rides, or who would ride if it felt safer.

But not everyone agrees. There's real concern about losing parking, and those voices are being heard loudly. If they're the only ones in the room on Tuesday, Council may feel pressure to weaken the plans.
That's why it's worth showing up.

Councillors notice who turns out. A visible group of people who support safer, greener streets sends a message that's hard to ignore — that this is what the community actually wants.

You're welcome to simply attend, or to speak at the Public Forum if you'd like to. A few honest sentences about why safe cycling matters to you often carry more weight than any polished argument.

The details
📍 Inner West Council, Ashfield building (260 Liverpool Road)
🕡 Public Forum at 6.30pm - Council meeting at 7.30pm
📅 This Tuesday 25 August 2026
🧑‍💻 https://www.innerwest.nsw.gov.au/council-meetings/current-council-meetings (register by 2.00pm on the day of the meeting)

​Come along, bring a friend, and help make the case for better streets in the Inner West.

Disappointment again for bike riders hoping for a safe route along Addison Road in Marrickville. At last Tuesday's Inner West Council budget meeting a motion by Greens Councillor Olivia Barlow to allocate $100,000 in the 2026/27 budget for the design of walking, cycling and urban amenity upgrades — including a separated cycleway — was defeated by a council majority.

Barlow noted that the community has been asking for this for almost a decade. She's not wrong. The Addison Road route (Local Route 16, running from Livingstone Road to Juliette Street) first appeared in the old Marrickville Bicycle Strategy back in 2007. In 2015, Council received a state government grant to develop a concept plan. Public consultation followed in early 2016 and again in 2017. Parking removal was the main sticking point: some residents objected to losing on-street spaces to make room for bikes. Despite a revised concept plan that actually produced a net increase of one parking space on Addison Road itself, the project was never built.

The road also appears on Inner West Council's own Future Strategic Cycling Network map, which forms part of the 2020 Integrated Transport Strategy "Going Places." The strategy explicitly calls for building separated cycleways on key roads. Addison Road has been on that list for years.

Labor Councillor Philippa Scott acknowledged the project has merit but indicated she wasn't ready to proceed given ongoing resident concerns, but would still "consider it as a future project".

Bike Marrickville has long advocated for a safe cycling connection along this corridor, which links key destinations including the Addison Road Community Centre, Enmore Park, and Marrickville Metro. The road is busy, lacks protected infrastructure, and is identified by Bicycle NSW as one of several Inner West streets that would benefit from both lower speeds and physical separation for riders.
​
With the 2026/27 budget now set without funding for even the design phase, riders on Addison Road will have to wait at least another year for progress — and based on the history of this route, possibly much longer.

One more piece of good news from last month's Council meeting: Inner West Council has formally endorsed plans to activate the GreenWay with community events, starting with a 6km fun run.
The GreenWay — the 6km walking and cycling corridor linking the Cooks River at Earlwood to the Parramatta River at Iron Cove and the Bay Run — only opened in December 2025, and it has already taken off. Around 5,000 people attended the opening, and the path has been busy with walkers, bikes, joggers and dog-walkers ever since. Usage tripled in the first two weeks.
Last month's decision kicks off detailed planning for a 6km fun run circuit, starting and finishing at Richard Murden Reserve. The circuit format means no one-way logistics headaches and keeps the event entirely within the Inner West LGA. A half marathon was also considered — using the full GreenWay, the Bay Run and the Cooks River Path — but the 6km option was chosen as the more accessible starting point, open to casual runners as well as serious ones.
Beyond the fun run, Council is expanding its Seniors Morning Tea program to include events at Johnson Park and Richard Murden Reserve, with an intergenerational morning tea planned for October. Cycling activations — bike tune-ups, try-a-bike sessions, and beginner skills courses — are already running at Johnson Park in partnership with Transport for NSW.
The GreenWay has been a long time coming. It's wonderful to see it not just open, but genuinely loved.

This morning, Bike Marrickville joined the Balmain Bike Bus to celebrate UN World Bicycle Day — the United Nations' annual recognition of the bicycle as a simple, affordable, and sustainable means of transport.
A bike bus is exactly what it sounds like: a group ride that follows a set route on a regular schedule, with riders joining and leaving along the way, just like a bus. They're a great way to make riding feel safer and more social, especially for people who don't yet ride alone.
Dozens of riders turned out on a beautiful Sydney morning, including Greens MP Kobi Shetty and Peter McLean and Sarah Bickford from Bicycle NSW, along with many riders from Bike Leichhardt.

[komoot:https://www.komoot.com/tour/3008134484/embed?share_token=ag2lwQ7QnFLEFYT1NqcYhWw7jj07jJQrSG2QrcUJA6lgHW0U8G&layout=classic&profile=1]

The route took us from Loyalty Square in Balmain through the White Bay Power Station site — a rare treat, as the heritage precinct is normally closed to the public — then across ANZAC Bridge, through Pyrmont and Darling Harbour, and up Liverpool Street and College Street to Parliament House. Bicycle NSW and Kobi Shetty are hoping the White Bay route will become a permanent shared path, open 24/7.
The sun was out, the mood was high, and we sailed past the traffic backed up on ANZAC Bridge. What a great day to celebrate the bicycle.
📽️ Watch our YouTube video →

We're going to allow ourselves a small moment of pride for this one.
At last week's Council meeting, Councillors Mat Howard and Kerrie Fergusson moved a motion congratulating Bike Marrickville for our Bicycle Valet service at the Muddy River Festival in March — and asking Council staff to work with us to expand it to at least three more events in 2026-27.
The motion passed. Council staff from the traffic and events teams will now meet with Bike Marrickville to explore opportunities, with a formal plan due at the August Council meeting covering logistics, promotion, and any financial support needed.
The Muddy River Festival showed what's possible. Hundreds of riders used the service — handing over their bike to a volunteer, collecting a ticket, and picking it up safely at the end of the day. No locking up to poles, no worrying about theft, no reason not to ride. Simple, practical, and enormously popular.
Bike valet services have a strong track record in cities like Vancouver and Portland, and in other Sydney council areas. They reduce traffic and parking pressure at events, cut emissions, and give volunteers a brilliant opportunity to chat with residents about cycling in the Inner West.
We're thrilled that Council has recognised the potential here. Watch this space — if you'd like to volunteer at a future Bike Valet event, get in touch. The more hands we have, the more events we can cover.

Aside from the new Lilyfield Road Cycleway, also approved at last night's Council meeting: a motion calling for urgent action on safety along the Carrington Road Cycleway in Marrickville.
The Carrington Road Cycleway holds a special place in Inner West cycling history — opened in 2014, it was the first separated cycleway built by the former Marrickville Council. But more than a decade on, safety problems persist. Vehicles regularly park in and across the cycleway, and drivers frequently fail to yield to cyclists at intersections. A recent ABC news report brought the issue to wider attention, and residents have been calling for action.

The human cost of inaction was made painfully clear last night by Sophie, a south Marrickville resident who used to commute to Sydenham station by bike via the Cooks River and Carrington Road. On the morning of 11 June 2025, a car hit her at the T-intersection with Renwick Street — a paint-only section of the bike lane with no kerb extension, no raised surface, and no signal to drivers that they need to slow down. She was thrown into the middle of Carrington Road at peak hour. "I was extremely lucky that no car ran me over as I was lying in the middle of the road," she told Council. Since the crash, she has observed the intersection firsthand: cars racing down the hill from parallel streets, barely pausing before turning, while delivery trucks park directly in the bike lane, forcing riders into traffic.
​
Councillor Mat Howard's motion, adopted by Council last night, directs staff to review signage, markings, kerb extensions and other traffic calming along the route. Importantly, it also requires Council to write to — and doorknock — all businesses on Carrington Road to make clear their obligations not to park on the cycleway, and to work through solutions with them directly.
Bike Marrickville will be consulted on options to improve cyclist safety, and a report with feasible improvements is due at the Local Transport Forum before October 2026. The motion also asks Council to consider a new pedestrian crossing at Renwick Street, improving access for students at Tempe High School.
We welcome this motion and thank Sophie for her courage in speaking last night. The Carrington Road Cycleway was a landmark when it was built — it deserves to work properly.